Austria Unveils Plan to Ban Social Media for Children Under 14, Joining Global Wave of Youth Digital Protections

Austria’s ruling coalition unveiled plans Friday to prohibit children under the age of 14 from using social media, making it the latest country to roll out targeted regulatory restrictions for young people online.

Alexander Pröll, the lead digitization official in Chancellor Christian Stocker’s office, confirmed that draft legislation for the ban will be finalized by the end of June. Per Pröll, the policy will use “technically modern, updated” age verification systems built to confirm users’ ages while upholding strict personal privacy standards. It remains unclear exactly when the minimum age requirement — which must first win parliamentary approval before it can be enacted — will take effect.

Austria’s move aligns it with a growing global trend of youth social media regulation that has accelerated in recent months. In 2024, Australia became the first country to implement a full ban on social media access for users under 16, framed as a measure to protect young people from harmful content and excessive screen time. Indonesia’s own similar ban is scheduled to go into effect this Saturday.

Across Europe, French lawmakers approved a bill in January banning social media use for children under 15, clearing the way for the rule to enter into force when the 2024 fall school year begins. Spain announced its own plans for an under-16 social media ban just last month, while Denmark reached a formal policy agreement last autumn to block under-15s from social platforms. The British government also noted in January that it would actively consider a ban for young teenagers.

Austria’s three-party centrist governing coalition is the latest to adopt this policy direction. “Today is a good day for children in our country,” Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler told reporters at a press conference announcing the plan. “In the future, we will protect children and young people with determination against the negative effects of social media platforms.”

“We will no longer stand by idly as these platforms hook our children on their services and all too often make them unwell,” he added. Alongside the ban, the Austrian government plans to upgrade school curricula to expand teaching on digital media literacy and responsible interaction with artificial intelligence.